Music News

02 Dec 2022

Nick Carter Was ‘Very Emotional’ Having the Backstreet Boys‘ Support After Aaron Carter’s Death

Nick Carter spoke out in a new interview on Friday (Dec. 2) about what it felt like to have the rest of the Backstreet Boys by his side following Aaron Carter‘s sudden death.

“It was very emotional for me, having my guys with me,” the pop star told Extra about setting foot on stage for the first time after his younger brother passed away last month. “That night, it was tough to get up on stage. There’s the old saying ‘the show must go on.’ That’s been with us for years, but that night, I didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t know what was going to come from it, getting on that stage. Getting the reaction from the fans, it was definitely comforting, and it meant a lot to me.”

During their show at London’s O2 Arena one day after Aaron’s Nov. 5 death, Kevin Richardson spoke on behalf of a visibly emotional Nick and the rest of his bandmates as he paid tribute to the “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” rapper.

“Tonight, we’ve got a little bit of heavy hearts because we lost one of our family members yesterday,” the Backstreet Boys member said at the time. “We just wanted to find a moment in our show to recognize him … He’s a part of our family. We thank you guys for all your love, all your well wishes and all your support.”

Howie Dorough then went on to dedicate the boy band’s next song to the younger Carter’s memory, calling him “our little brother.”

Meanwhile the veteran boy band’s latest holiday single, “Last Christmas” — off their new album A Very Backstreet Christmas — became the quintet’s first No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart since “I Want It That Way” back in 1999.

02 Dec 2022

Offset Goes ‘Takeoff Crazy’ During His First Performance Since Migos Rapper’s Death

At nightclub E11EVEN Miami’s “The Art of Nightlife” lineup for Miami Art Basel, Offset performed on Thursday (Dec. 1) for the first time following the death of his cousin Takeoff.

One month following his Migos bandmate’s passing, Offset arrived at E11EVEN with wife Cardi B — clad in a black see-through bodysuit and sporting long brown tresses — by his side. During his set, the 30-year-old rapper threw fistfuls of $1 bills into the crowd alongside his hype-men, dedicating the performance to his late cousin. “We are going to go Takeoff crazy in here tonight,” he told the crowd.

Performing a 30-minute set with career hits such as “Fight Night,” “Ric Flair Drip” and “Bad and Boujee,” Offset continually kept Takeoff in mind, at one point performing the late rapper’s 2018 single “Last Memory.”

He showed love to his wife too, asking the DJ to play GloRilla and Cardi’s viral “Tomorrow 2,” which the Bronx-bred rapper sang along to from their booth.

Takeoff died Nov. 1 of gunshot wounds while in Houston with uncle and fellow Migos member Quavo. The pair were gathered with a group of around 40 people outside 810 Billiards & Bowling when an argument escalated and led to stray bullets taking the 28-year-old rapper’s life. On Dec. 2, Houston police announced that a suspect in Takeoff’s murder had been arrested.

Following the 28-year-old’s death, Quavo and Offset remained relatively tight-lipped, privately mourning their massive loss, but both spoke at a three-hour ceremony honoring Takeoff held at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. Offset also posted a statement to his Instagram account, addressing his loss through an open letter to his late cousin, whom he lovingly referred to as “Take.”

“Every time you would see me, you didn’t give me a dap you gave me a hug. I wish I could hug you one last time,” he wrote. “I know someone with a soul like yours is in heaven now. I hope you can see how much we love you and miss you. You have left a hole in my heart that will never be filled.”

02 Dec 2022

Mel B Names James Corden & This Fellow Spice Girl as the ‘Biggest D—heads’

Mel B spilled some serious tea on the latest episode of British talk show The Big Narstie Show this week, in which she called out a few celebrities that she doesn’t think are “very nice.”

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When asked who she felt was the “biggest d—head she’d ever met,” the singer responded, “So, there’s a few. James Corden, Geri Halliwell, Jessie J and me.”

When comedian Mo Gilligan was surprised that she named her fellow Spice Girls bandmate, Mel explained that while she cares deeply about Halliwell, she finds Ginger Spice to be “really f—ing annoying.”

As for Corden, who has been getting called out quite a bit recently for his rude behavior, Mel B shared while keeping vague, “I think you always have to be nice to the people that you work with whether it be production, camera guys, sound, lighting.”

She continued, “We all work for the same thing, so you should always be nice and he hasn’t been very nice.”

In October, the Late Late Show host was slammed by restaurateur Keith McNally, who said Corden was “extremely nasty” to the staff at his Balthazar restaurant, and claimed that the TV personality “began yelling like crazy” to a server after his wife’s omelet was sent back. 

Corden later publicly apologized for the incident on his show, and then privately spoke to McNally. “He appreciated the call. I was happy that we got to clear the air, and I felt like we dealt with it privately,” Corden said. “But by this point, the story was out there. And well, people were upset.”

02 Dec 2022

BLACKPINK Shares ‘Pink Venom’ Behind-the-Scenes Moments in ‘Born Pink Memories Roll #1’

BLACKPINK‘s Born Pink era is still in full swing, but the group — which consists of members Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé — is taking a walk down memory lane. The K-pop group previously teased “Born Pink Memories” on Thursday (Dec. 1), and followed up with an eight-minute short of behind-the-scenes footage from the “Pink Venom” video shoot on Friday (Dec. 2).

The video kicks off the the quartet preparing the “Pink Venom” teaser concept photos, with scenes of each girl posing solo and later convening inside the photo’s large — and artfully cracked — glass box. in between fierce poses, they have cute friendship moments dancing, playing together and making silly faces.

Each scene from the larger-than-life video got a few dedicated moments of attention, starting with Jennie’s car scene, which she shared that at one point on set, she drove the car through the wall; Rosé’s black water scene, which she revealed she conceptualized; Jennie and Lisa’s joint rap; Lisa’s “tomb raider dome” that was built with actual cracked mirror glass for the floor, and more.

While it’s unclear when the second “Born Pink Memories” episode will arrive, the video concluded with a note that read “to be continued,” meaning BLINKs have more memories to look forward to.

BLACKPINK is currently on the European leg of its Born Pink World Tour. The trek’s first stop was on Nov. 30 at the O2 in London, and will make stops in Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and more before heading back to Asia in 2023 for a series of dates in January, March and May.

Watch BLACKPINK’s first episode of “Born Pink Memories” above.

02 Dec 2022

Powfu Talks Taylor Swift ‘Mine’ Cover, New Album & More

Powfu unveiled his nine-song debut album, Surrounded by Hounds and Serpents, on Friday (Dec. 2), and to celebrate the release, the 23-year-old star sat down with Billboard‘s Rania Aniftos to discuss his musical journey.

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“My first memory was walking into the living room, and my parents bought me a drum set,” he shares of when he first started getting into music and how he was inspired by his father, who is also a musician. “When I was 12, that’s when I really started trying to write stuff and I was into poetry a lot. My dad built a studio beside our house, so I would go in there and watch him make music. I stole a microphone from my dad, took it into my bedroom and downloaded GarageBand. I just got addicted to it, basically. Then I started getting numbers pretty quick.”

After blowing up on TikTok with the success of his 2020 Beabadoobee collab, “Death Bed (Coffee for Your Head),” Powfu has been continuously putting out music, even dropping a punk rock version of Taylor Swift‘s Speak Now hit, “Mine.” “I really like Taylor Swift. I think she’s awesome,” he says.

Of his new album title, he explains, “In my life, there’s a lot of people that I met that are fake or only want you for the wrong reasons. Over the years, I think I’ve gotten better at being weary and looking at my surroundings and spotting out who those people are.”

Watch Billboard‘s full interview with Powfu above.

02 Dec 2022

First Spin: The Week’s Best New Dance Tracks From The Martinez Brothers, Nocturnal Sunshine & More

This week in dance music: Kygo announced that his Palm Tree Music Festival will debut in Aspen with co-headliner Jack White in February, Drake made a rare showing as Billboard‘s top dance chart artist of 2022, LCD Soundystem paid homage to the late Christine McVie amidst their Brooklyn Steel residency and Sam Smith’s and Kim Petras’ unstoppable “Unholy” hit No. 1 over on the Dance Mix/Show Airplay chart.

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You want more? We’ve got more. Let’s dig in.

The Martinez Brothers & Tokischa, “Kilo”

Back in 2016, The Martinez Brothers linked up with Miss Kittin on “Stuff in the Trunk,” an after hours-type heater on which Miss Kittin half-sings, half-chants suggestively over frenetic percussion. The duo’s’ newest track, “Kilo,” is its spiritual successor. “Kilo” channels that same 4:00 a.m., blurred-vision vibe while dipping into the Brothers’ oft-visited Latin roots, mixing their groovy tech house with reggaetón into an alluring track with frenzied, hard-hitting drums and trippy melodies. On vocals this time is Dominican artist Tokischa, whose melodic rap conveys a playfulness with a glint of mischief. A summer favorite throughout The Martinez Brothers’ Hï Ibiza residency, “Kilo” has staying power for fall and winter’s dark days and darker nights. — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ

Nocturnal Sunshine feat. Cha$ey Jon£s, “LDN”

Did you know before Maya Jane Coles was a known queen of deep house, she was cooking up nasty hip-hop beats with her boy Cha$ey Jon£s? “How long have we been friends, like 20 years?” the producer recently asked in an Instagram video. “24 to be exact,” her masked friend replied. “Yeah, we’re basically family.”

The pair first started making music when they were 14, and four years ago, they reconnected in the studio to produce LDN, a five-track EP that Coles calls “just the beginning of a new chapter.” Released under her Nocturnal Sunshine alias, the titular lead track is a dark and brooding bit of grimy goodness; a beautiful blend of her sensibilities to build a complex mood and a very clear understanding of golden era boom bap style. Cha$ey Jon£s delivers a smooth and mean performance on the mic. It’s an inspiring sound, a little bit evil and a little bit sexy, and we’re very happy to hear there’s yet more to come. – KAT BEIN

WayOfLife, Insides Outed

WayOfLife is the artist name of Russell Wardlow, otherwise known as resident #78756 of Nebraska State Penitentiary. A longtime musician currently serving a 14-year sentence, Wardlow spent a two-week period of solitary confinement (due to a covid outbreak) making music, which found its way to Eli Goldstein of Soul Clap, who’d become acquainted with Wardlow via the non-profit Give a Beat, which uses music to fight mass incarceration and recruited musicians, including Goldstein, to recite Wardlow’s lyrical poetry for a radio series.Initially passing on the solitary confinement tracks, Goldstein took a deeper listen and found that the lyrics brought him to tears. He then professionally produced the music and is now releasing the nine track album via Soul Clap Records. Revenue from the album will go towards a fund for Wardlow’s eventual reentry to life outside of prison.

“The poem was about fatherhood and my first child had just been born so I connected deeply with his words,” Goldstein tells Billboard. “We started talking on the phone during his incarceration in Nebraska and built a deep relationship… When we got to re-connect, we agreed to release the music as an album on Soul Clap Records. Over the last few months I’ve been working with BK based producer Taylor Bense to make beats worthy of the raps, and it’s an honor to take a new step for myself and the label with this supremely talented artist!” 

“My desire is to grow in my personal development, as a father of two great sons, and in my creative works to be an effective messenger and bridge from prison to the world,” Wardlow says. “There are stories behind these walls the world needs to hear; until that can happen, I will have my ‘insides outed’ to create that insight of the strife of those inside.” — KATIE BAIN

RL Grime & Nero, “Renegade”

A hot track ID since RL Grime debuted the song in his annual Halloween mix, “Renegade” marks the first original music from Nero since 2018, and the group’s first collaboration with Grime. While Nero has indeed been out of the spotlight for a minute (besides a handful of remixes, including one of deadmau5′ 2021 single “XYZ”), there’s no forgetting the voice of Nero vocalist Alana Watson, whose chromatic wail glistens above a tough electro production. “Renegade” is out via Grime’s Sable Valley imprint. — K. Bain

Lachi, “Black Girl Cornrows”

There’s nothing better in this world than feeling good in your own skin, and Lachi’s latest single “Black Girl Cornrows” has a bumpin’ beat and self-love lyrics that can build you up to a higher state. The song is released in celebration of International Disabilities Day, a cause championed by the legally blind singer and producer, whose work with Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD) and other organizations has brought her to meet President Biden and help reshape the inclusion riders at this year’s upcoming Grammy awards. Outside of its positive and important message, “Black Girl Cornrows” simply bangs, with co-production on its energetic grooves from Black Caviar and two ferocious features from Question ATL and Yvie Oddly. When you put this song on, you’ll be ready to hit the streets in your weirdest look, stalking the sidewalk proudly and joyously for all to admire. – K. Bein

Snakehips feat. Lucky Daye & BIA, “Solitude”

U.K. duo Snakehips are ending 2022 with some exciting news: their debut album, never worry, is finally headed our way early next year. (“Probably shoulda done this years ago but better late than never,” they joked on Twitter.) With the announcement, they’ve shared their latest track, “Solitude” featuring Lucky Daye and BIA. Sweet yet wistful, “Solitude” is a plea from one lover to another to take the leap: “Come and break my solitude, ‘cause I wanna share it all with you,” BIA sings. It’s the type of song you play when you’re missing that special someone in the flesh, and texts and FaceTime no longer cut it. In addition to “Solitude,” never worry will feature previously released singles “Who’s Gonna Love You Tonight,” “All Around The World” and “Water.” — K.R.

02 Dec 2022

GloRilla & Cardi B’s ‘Tomorrow 2’ Hits No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart

GloRilla and Cardi B both return to No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart as “Tomorrow 2” races 5-1 to lead the list dated Dec. 3. The coronation traces to the song’s 8% jump in spins that made it the most played song of the week at U.S. monitored R&B/hip-hop radio stations, according to Luminate.

As “Tomorrow 2” seizes the top slot, GloRilla goes two-for-two in terms of having her first two chart appearances both reach No. 1 on the radio ranking. Her debut entry, “F.N.F. (Let’s Go),” with producer Hitkidd, topped the list for one week in August. With the feat, she’s the first artist to do so since Tems, whose first three appearances – a featured turn on Wizkid’s “Essence,” another guest spot alongside Drake on “Wait for U” and her own “Free Mind” – all reigned on the list. Among lead acts, GloRilla is the first to open her Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay account with two No. 1s since Ella Mai in 2018. That year, the R&B singer-songwriter sent both “Boo’d Up” and “Trip” to the top of the list.

For Cardi B, “Tomorrow 2” is her 10th No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and grants her entry as the ninth member of a select club of acts with double-digit career totals. Here’s a refreshed leaderboard of the artists with the most No. 1s on the list since it launched in 1993:

  • 43, Drake
  • 20, Lil Wayne
  • 17, Chris Brown
  • 16, Usher
  • 13, Beyoncé
  • 11, R. Kelly
  • 10, Cardi B
  • 10, Jay-Z
  • 10, Rihanna

And as “Tomorrow 2” joins the roster, here are the rapper’s 10 No. 1s on the radio ranking:

Song Title, Artist (if other than Cardi B), Weeks at No. 1, Peak Date

  • “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves),” nine, Sept. 16, 2017
  • “No Limit,” G-Eazy featuring A$AP Rocky & Cardi B, five, Dec. 9, 2017
  • “I Like It,” with Bad Bunny & J Balvin, one, July 28, 2018
  • “Ring,” featuring Kehlani, one, Nov. 17, 2018
  • “Money,” five, Feb. 2, 2019
  • “Backin’ It Up,” Pardison Fontaine featuring Cardi B, one, March 9, 2019
  • “Please Me,” with Bruno Mars, six, April 13, 2019
  • “Up,” one, March 27, 2021
  • “Wild Side,” Normani featuring Cardi B, three, Jan. 1, 2022
  • “Tomorrow 2,” with GloRilla, one (to date), Dec. 3, 2022

Elsewhere, “Tomorrow 2” pushes 5-2 on Rap Airplay after a 14% burst in audience in the week ending Nov. 27 and steps 6-4 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay with a 15% hike to 15.2 million in weekly audience. Plus, it rises 15-14 on Rhythmic Airplay, following a 6% gain in weekly plays at the format.

02 Dec 2022

From RM to Lewis Capaldi, What’s Your Favorite New Release of the Week? Vote!

Happy December! It may be the last month of 2022, but that doesn’t mean new music is stopping any time soon. This week’s new releases include albums from RM, Metro Boomin and more, and Billboard wants to know which release you’ll have on repeat as you kick off the holiday season.

The BTS leader’s long-awaited solo full-length, Indigo, features guest turns from a wide array of global stars including Erykah Badu (album opener “Yun”), Anderson .Paak (“Still Life”), Epik High’s Tablo (“All Day”), South Korean singer-songwriter Kim Sawol (“Forg_tful”) and more.

On Heroes & Villains, Metro Boomin enlists everyone from John Legend (“On Time”) and Travis Scott (“Raindrops [Insane]”) to Don Toliver (“Around Me”), Young Thug (“Metro Spider”) and The Weeknd and 21 Savage (“Creepin’”). Plus, album cut “Feel the Fiyaaaah” with A$AP Rocky features an assist from the late Takeoff, recorded before the Migos rapper’s tragic murder in November.

As far as new singles go, Lewis Capaldi drops another preview of his forthcoming sophomore album Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent in romantic ballad “Pointless,” and Latto taps GloRilla and Gangsta Boo on the club-ready “FTCU.”

Morgan Wallen also floats out the first taste of his follow-up to 2021’s massive Dangerous: The Double Album with three-track sampler One Thing at a Time containing the title track, “Days That End in Why” and “Tennessee Fan,” doubling down on his rustic country sound as he seeks to regain his footing following his racial slur controversy early last year.

And it wouldn’t be the greatest time of year without some new holiday fare — this week in the form of a live recording of Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande‘s stellar 2021 duet “Santa, Can’t You Hear Me.”

Vote for you favorite new release in Billboard‘s latest poll below!

02 Dec 2022

Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ Gets a Jazzy Christmas Cover on All-‘SNL’ Holiday Edition of ‘That’s My Jam’

It’s a Saturday Night Live reunion on the upcoming That’s My Jam holiday special, with four former castmates joining their fellow alum, host Jimmy Fallon, for a Christmas music showdown.

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In an exclusive clip ahead of the special’s Monday premiere on NBC, Ana Gasteyer – an SNL castmember from 1996-2002 – puts a swinging, festive twist on Taylor Swift‘s “Blank Space.” When Gasteyer pulls the golden mic, she gets the Musical Genre Challenge category, and she’s asked to transform Swift’s seven-week Billboard Hot 100-topping 2014 hit into a Holiday Jazz standard.

Anyone who watched Gasteyer on SNL knows she has pipes — especially her skits alongside Will Ferrell as singing married couple The Culps — and she really sells this Postmodern Jukebox-style cover, throwing in some scatting for good measure.

Gasteyer is joined on That’s My Jam by three other Saturday Night Live alumni — one of whom she overlapped with, Rachel Dratch (1999-2006), and two who came after her, Fred Armisen (2002-13) and Melissa Villaseñor (2016-22). Gasteyer is clearly comfortable in the holiday music space, having released her own Christmas album, cheekily titled Sugar & Booze, back in 2019. Next up, she can be seen in season 2 of American Auto, which returns to NBC on Jan. 24.

Following the holiday special, That’s My Jam is coming back for a second season next year, premiering March 7. You can catch this Taylor Swift cover and more merry musical shenanigans when That’s My Jam Holiday Edition premieres Monday at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

02 Dec 2022

Paramore Tease ‘The News’ Single By Mailing CD to Fan

Paramore peeled back another layer of their upcoming This Is Why (Feb. 10) album on Thursday (Dec. 1) when the Hayley Williams-led band posted a snippet of the song “The News.” on TikTok. The 14-second clip was accompanied by an image of a pair of hands writing the song’s title on a burned CD and then placing it in a package addressed to fan who goes by “GWizzle.”

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The accompanying mid-tempo track features jazzy drums and Williams crooning “turn off… the news.” In response, GWizzle then posted a video in which she is listening to the snippet of “The News” before being interrupted by a knock the door, only to find the aforementioned package featuring the CD. “I can’t, I can’t be the only one,” she says with trepidation after putting the disc in her boombox and hovering over the play button. She then walks away as the screen promises that the first listen of “The News” will take place on TikTok at 8 p.m. ET on Friday night.

In another video, GWizzle stares in awe as the CD is addressed on the other side of the split screen, dramatically dropping vinyl copies of all the band’s albums before running off.

In addition, the group’s Instagram teased the Feb. 8 release date for the song with a picture taken by drummer Zac Farro of Williams seated on a red carpeted floor in front of a white door. Williams, Farro and guitarist Taylor York will launch a 2023 arena tour in support of their sixth full-length album on May 23 with a show in Charlotte, N.C.; they will also join Taylor Swift on a number of dates on her 2023 Eras North American stadium tour.

The band’s first LP in almost six years includes the lead single/title track, which dropped in September.

Check out “The News” previews below.